As someone who spends most of my time on BookTok and Bookstagram, I’m familiar with all the novels that have been taking the world by storm. Most recently, Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros has been causing a frenzy online. The book follows twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail as she gets ordered by the commander —who happens to be her mother — to enter Basgiath War College and become a dragon rider.
This novel has something for everyone, whether you enjoy a good action-packed fantasy that’ll have you on the edge of your seat or a swoon-worthy romance. The sequel, Iron Flame, was released on Nov. 7, along with a special edition of Fourth Wing that includes a sleek new red cover design perfect for the holiday season, sprayed edges, new endpapers, and two bonus chapters from Xaden’s point of view. I don’t know about you, but I love it when we get exclusive content from the love interest’s POV, so this is a must-read for any Fourth Wing fan. Spoiler warning: Spoilers for Fourth Wing follow.
The bonus chapters that are in the special holiday edition of Fourth Wing are chapters 9 and 16. In Chapter 9, Xaden and Violet are training. He isn’t impressed by any of her moves and finds them easy to block while also thinking about how easy it would be to kill her. The chapter also includes an iconic scene where she tries to stab him in the thigh and says, “Going for blood today, are we, Violence? My name is Violent.”
Readers get an understanding of how drawn and mesmerized Xaden is by Violet. He quickly realizes that he doesn’t want to do anything to hurt her as they’re training and comes up with the excuse that something’s wrong with him. He eventually figures out that Violet’s attracted to him too and realizes how dangerous this could be for the both of them. Xaden teaches Violet that because she’s so small, it would be best to stab her opponents in the kidneys or the ribs with her dagger. They finish training while the sexual tension between them builds. Xaden then meets with Garrick, who teases him about his feelings for Violet. Xaden gets angry and shoves him against the wall before he walks away.
As for Chapter 16, Xaden is dealing with the fallout of Treshing. While he’s being scolded by Aestos, he can’t help but think about how attracted he is to Violet and the jealousy he has toward her and Aestos. Xaden then realizes that Violet could have died and that’s a reality that terrifies him. Xaden asks Aestos if he would have bent the rules to save Violet and he says that he wouldn’t have, which makes Xaden livid. However, the heartbreak that this confession causes Violet makes Xaden feel guilty. Violet is then mad at Xaden for forcing the confession out of Aestos and Xaden says that he did it to keep both of them alive, in which she responds with, “There is no us.”
Their argument continues and it hits just Xaden how attracted he is to Violet and how much he wants to kiss her. They both realize how dangerous is it now that Tairn is hunting Violet, but Xaden can’t help but feel like Violet will be his undoing. He leaves to talk to Garrick about what he’s just discovered. Xaden thinks about enlisting Liam to protect Violet and gets jealous when he sees Aetos unlacing her armor and kissing her. Xaden makes a mental note to stay away from her and Sgaeyl, the mind reader, but knows he can’t.
If you were able to snag a copy of the special holiday edition of Fourth Wing, I hope you enjoy this beautiful version of the book as you learn more about the ship that has captured the hearts of so many bookworms. However, if you weren’t able to get your hands on this edition, don’t fret! There are still a few copies remaining in stores such as Sam’s Club, Target, and Books-A-Million. Yarros will also be putting the bonus chapters on her website in early 2024.